Lead paragraph
A lead, or lede, paragraph in literature refers to the opening paragraph of an article, essay, news story or book chapter. Often called just the lede/lead, it usually occurs together with the headline or title. It precedes the main body of the article, and it gives the reader the main idea of the story. Both spellings of the word are pronounced to rhyme with "need".[1]
In the journalism industry, particularly in the United States (see News style), the term is spelled "lede". The alternative spelling was invented to differentiate it from references to the metal lead (pronounced the same as "led"), which was used to cast type.[1] "Lede" refers to one or two sentences, not multiple paragraphs.[citation needed] This spelling is absent from almost all print dictionaries, though it has recently started to appear in some online-edition US dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster.com[2] (it does not appear in any of their print versions, even unabridged) and TheFreeDictionary.com; it is also listed in Wiktionary (and was chosen for the rest of this article).[3]
In journalism, the lede paragraph should not be confused with the standfirst (UK), rider, kicker or subhead (US). These terms refer to an introductory or summary line or brief paragraph, located immediately above or below the headline, and typographically distinct from the body of the article.[4]
[edit] Types
Journalistic ledes emphasize grabbing the attention of the reader.[5] In journalism, the failure to mention the most important, interesting or attention-grabbing elements of a story in the first paragraph is sometimes called "burying the lede".
Ledes in essays summarize the outline of the argument and conclusion that follows in the main body of the essay. Encyclopedia ledes tend to define the subject matter as well as emphasize the interesting points of the article. Features and general articles in magazines tend to be somewhere between journalistic and encyclopedian in style and often lack a distinct lead paragraph entirely. Ledes or introductions in books vary enormously in length, intent and content.
[edit] See also
- Introduction (essay)
- Abstract (summary)
- Opening sentence
- Inverted pyramid
- Editorial (also known as a "leader" in British English)
[edit] References
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Look up lede in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- ^ a b "Carol" (author unidentifiable) (November 28, 2000). "The Mavens' Word of the Day: lede". RandomHouse.com. New York City, NY, US: Random House/Bertelsmann. "Maven's Word of the Day" blog (defunct as of 2012). Retrieved 2012-02-28. This is a tertiary source that clearly includes information from other sources but does not name them.
- ^ "Lede". Merriam-Webster Online. Chicago, IL, US: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2012 [copyright date]. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- ^ "Lede". The Free Dictionary. Huntingdon Valley, PA, US: Farlex. 2012 [copyright date]. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- ^ "Standfirst". Double-Tongued Dictionary. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
- ^ Peha & Lester (2006). Be a Writer: Your Guide to the Writing Life!: Proven Tips and Powerful Techniques to Help Young Writers Get Started. Leverage Factory. p. 125.
